Word
favoritism
Phoneticsfa·voritism
US/ˈfeɪvɝɪˌtɪzəm/
UK/fˈeɪvəɹɪtˌɪzəm/
UK spelling · favouritism
Uncountable noun
Definition
n. the act of giving unfair support or better treatment to one person or group over others.
n. the practice of giving unfair preferential treatment to one person or group at the expense of another.
Examples
“The manager was accused of favoritism toward his friends.”
“Teachers must be careful to avoid any appearance of favoritism when grading the final projects of their students.”
“The company's promotion policy was designed to eliminate favoritism by requiring objective performance metrics rather than relying on personal recommendations from senior leadership.”
Examples
simple
“The manager was accused of favoritism toward his friends.”
contextual
“Teachers must be careful to avoid any appearance of favoritism when grading the final projects of their students.”
complex
“The company's promotion policy was designed to eliminate favoritism by requiring objective performance metrics rather than relying on personal recommendations from senior leadership.”
Usage
Often paired with the preposition 'toward' or 'towards'.
Real-World Examples
“So-called financial favouritism can cause jealousy and resentment long into adulthood.” Etymology
From favorite + -ism.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/favoritism